Quote: Mary Doria Russell on the protective browridge

Browridges have often been interpreted as selectively important eye protection, serving as anatomical sun visors (Boule and Vallois 1957, von Haartman 1974, Kurtén 1979) or bony unbrellas (Davies 1972). It has also been suggested that the Australian Aborigines' well-developed browridges protected their eyes from the venom of Australian spitting snakes (Davies 1972). While the selective advantage of some protection against being blinded by venom is obvious, the fact that the snakes in question are ground-dwelling decreases the usefulness of a barrier above the eyes.

John Hawks is the Vilas-Borghesi Distinguished Achievement Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin—Madison. I work on the fossil and genetic record of human evolution (About me).

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